


Hogwarts Shenanigans

by Mimi_Raven



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Behind the Scenes, Feedback appreciated, Gen, Hogwarts, My First Fanfic, bits and pieces
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-28 04:23:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11410131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimi_Raven/pseuds/Mimi_Raven
Summary: What has Lee done this time?





	Hogwarts Shenanigans

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Trombolline](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trombolline/gifts), [Pikkulef](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pikkulef/gifts), [GrumpyQueer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrumpyQueer/gifts).



**Brixton and Biscuits**

 

Lee was feeling a bit nervous. Admittedly, he didn’t care much about being told off by a teacher, he was used to it. But he had a feeling it was different this time, although he had no idea what it could be about. So many possibilities. That book he had stolen just to upset the nasty librarian? It had been weeks. Had one of the elves finally complained that cakes were vanishing? Unlikely. They were always more than happy to help, always very nice to him. Lee wondered for a moment why he kept stealing instead of just asking.

But what was it then? Professor McGonagall didn’t just summon you to her office to give you biscuits. Grabbing him by the arm after the match, she had told him to go wait for her there. He had been sitting on this tartan-covered chair for the past twenty minutes, and he was growing anxious by the second.

Lee had never been one to worry much. He wore dreadlocks when it upset her mother. He joked about pretty much everything. He liked being a rulebreaker, and his nights out with Fred and George were already the stuff of Hogwarts legend after only two years in the school. He felt he belonged there.

Lee stood up, intrigued by the spine of a book on the shelf to his left. It read _A History of Riots in Twentieth Century England_. He took it. He was surprised to see something so clearly Muggly and un-McGonagallish on this shelf. He had expected everything to be about witches and wizards of Scotland, wizarding clans and kilts. He had never imagined she could have an interest in history or social sciences.

“What are you doing, Jordan?” said a sharp voice behind him. Professor McGonagall had just entered her office, frowning severely, her bun as tight as ever. She took of her hat and put it on a small table by the door.

“Sorry, Professor, I was just–”

“Sit down, Jordan. You know I always like a good joke, but this is getting ridiculous.”

Professor McGonagall? A joke? Surely someone had Confunded her. The last thing anyone could ever imagine about Minerva McGonagall was that she liked jokes or laughing.

“Oh.” Lee was baffled; he couldn’t come up with anything smart or cheeky this time.

“Your comment during the match made me very unhappy.”

“Which one, Professor?”

“Don’t be smart with me, Jordan. Calling out Miss Johnson about her looks in front of the whole school while she is busy chasing the Quaffle? A ‘fun fact’, I believe you called it. I don’t like this, Jordan. I will not have it.”

It was Lee’s turn to be confused this time. He couldn’t see where the conversation was going. Did Professor McGonagall like to meddle with her students’ dating life? This was a preposterous assumption. What on earth was going on?

“Jordan, what I am painfully trying to make you understand is that if you don’t abide by the school rules, at least respect your fellow students.”

“But I didn’t–”

“Enough. I have tried to move past it up to this point, but I’m not quite comfortable with the idea of my students being pressured into going out with another student.”

“I’m sorry Professor, is it against the rules to ask someone out? I wasn’t aware of this.”

“Of course not! Dating isn’t against any rules I know of, unless one of the parties isn’t interested.”

“But she might be.” Lee couldn’t believe he was talking about his crush with his Transfiguration teacher. Fred and George would definitely think he was lying.

 “Indeed. This will come as a shock to you, but this is of no interest to me. However, how you treat female students in my school is. You must remember the things everyone says about Gryffindors, I’m sure? I remember you were proud to be sorted in my house. Brave and fierce, yes. But that does not translate to loud and obnoxious, as some Gryffindors sometimes like to believe. I am quite indifferent to your shenanigans with the Weasley twins, because your school work is satisfactory. But I will not let you think it is normal to call out a girl on how she looks when she is clearly not in the capacity to retort.”

“But I like her, Professor, I meant to pay her a compliment.”

Professor McGonagall sighed and reached for a tin on her desk. “Have a biscuit, Jordan.”

Now completely puzzled by the situation, Lee took a biscuit tentatively. He took a bite, trying not to chew too loudly so as not to upset his teacher any further.

“It’s quite simple, really”, said Professor McGonagall after a minute or so. If you like the girl, Jordan, just talk to her about it. Merlin’s beard, young people are so useless these days. You are perfectly allowed to express your feelings to her in private, when she is able to talk back and say how she feels as well. But it’s just no right to comment on her looks to pressure her into going out with you. When playing Quidditch, she’s not here to look pretty, she’s here to chase the Quaffle, score, and make us all very proud.”

Lee felt his cheeks burning. “Yes, she is an excellent player indeed.” But there was something he couldn’t quite grasp yet. He hesitated, then asked timidly: “Could you explain further, Professor?”

Professor McGonagall smiled for a fraction of a second. She reached for the book Lee had taken off the shelf, stroke the back for a second, then replaced it next to the others.

“Yes, Jordan, I can. Where did you grow up?”

“Brixton, London, Professor.”

“Yes. I assumed as much. They do mention Brixton in this book, you know. I know about the riots.”

For a moment, the smell of wet grass and sand came back to Lee. He felt he was four again, playing in that little square off Atlantic Road with his friends. He felt a hand grabbing his and heard the panicked voice of his aunt telling him they had to go home straight away.

“Are you feeling well, Jordan?”

“Yes, Professor, sorry.”

Years later, his mom had explained this day. With his dad they had been protesting with many others in Brixton, following the tragic death of Michael Bailey, when the police had charged. His mom had rushed to the nearest and safest public phone and had called her aunt, telling her to go pick Lee up from the square, fearing something would happen. Coming home with Martha, Lee had noticed three white men in black jackets and tight jeans looking at them from across the street. He had felt scared, although this had surprised him, because they sometimes came to the park where he played to fetch their children too. But they always seemed unhappy about something. How could he have guessed it was his parents’, friends’, and his own skin colour they were frowning at?

His mother had explained that too. “They don’t like us because we’re black. They’re scared of us.”

“But why?”

“I don’t know, pumpkin. I think they are afraid because they don’t think we are like them”.

Lee had not been able to understand this. He had seen little Sean make twigs fly without meaning to, just like he and his friends did. Little Sean was definitely a wizard too, just like them. Muggles had feared and hated all of them for centuries. How could it be that Sean’s dad and his two friends in turn would hate Lee and his parents because they were different? From this day on, growing up, Lee had felt the atmosphere in Brixton. It was heavy, tense, despite being also very festive at times. Hogwarts had allowed him to escape that and he was grateful for it.

“So, Jordan, I assume you are familiar with the fact of being uncomfortable in the public space and singled out because of how you look.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Well then, I think we are done here. I will not take any points from Gryffindor this time. Off you go, Jordan. I’ll see you on Tuesday in Transfiguration. Please note points will be taken if you don’t hand in your essay.”

Lee stood up and walked out of the office. He heard the door closing behind him. Still holding his biscuit, he went to sit on the stairs and took another bite.

So anyone could hurt someone else after all, without even meaning to or realising it. He would have to keep it in mind.

 

 


End file.
